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Eating disorders can present unique challenges for both young people and those helping them navigate the journey towards mental and physical health.
This month, Jessica Kingsley Publishers Library’s Topic in Focus explores eating disorders in young people with a focus on how parents, educators and practitioners can better understand and guide young people to recovery. Scroll down to read selected chapters from our Mental Health and Counselling, Inclusive Teaching and Learning, and Autism and Neurodiversity collection.
Our relationship with our bodies is as important as how we view food when it comes to eating habits; and both are central to our shifting body image.
In this chapter from What Does Eating Disorder Recovery Look Like?: Answers to Your Questions about Therapy and Recovery, authors Lucia Giombini and Sophie Nesbitt examine how we develop our perception of our bodies, and the factors that can distort that perception to an unhealthy degree.
The causes of eating disorders in young people can vary: from feelings of anxiety and depression to social pressure and genetics. Although this can make it difficult for educators and support staff to both identify and respond to such disorders, there are certain signs one can watch for, and opportunities for mindful response.
Read this chapter on eating disorders from The School Mental Health Response Handbook: Practical Strategies for Educators and Support Staff, in which expert psychologists Ali D’Amaro and Tina Rae deepen our understanding of different conditions and address ways to respond to mental health needs.
Every story of living with an eating disorder is unique, and those stories are shaped by the added complexities of race, gender, culture and media.
In this sample story from Eating Disorders Don’t Discriminate: Stories of Illness, Hope and Recovery from Diverse Voices, Marilyn Okoro shares her experience coping with bulimia, and how her identity as a black elite athlete shaped her journey as well as her recovery.
Our perception of our bodies changes throughout our lives. While it’s common to feel some level of dissatisfaction with our appearance, body image struggles can affect us to a traumatic degree.
In her introduction to Trauma-Informed and Embodied Approaches to Body Dysmorphic Disorder, editor and psychologist Nicole Schnackenberg presents an overview of BDD and its ranging symptoms, setting up her exploration of how trauma-informed approaches can offer hope to those who struggle with the condition.
From cyber-bullying to self-image distortion, social media is now understood to be a notable factor in the development of body dysmorphia disorder.
This teen-directed sample chapter from Appearance Anxiety: A Guide to Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder for Young People, Families and Professionals addresses how the internet (and social media platforms in particular) influence the way young people perceive their bodies and offers tips on how to manage our relationship with apps.
The relationship between autism and eating disorders is often overlooked or misunderstood. Both can often present in similar ways, whether through certain eating behaviors or obsessive thought patterns.
Read this chapter from Autism and Eating Disorders in Teens: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, in which health professionals Fiona Fisher Bullivant and Sharleen Woods reflect on the eating disorder recovery process as well as how it fits with autism support, citing direct patient examples to illustrate the journey.
